Barrel-fastening for automatic pistols.



W. J. WHITING'.

BARREL FASTENING FOR AUTOMATIC PISTOLS. APPLICATION man JULY 20, 1914.RENEWED NOV. 23. 1915.

1,168,985. Patented 32111.18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fig. 1

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAFH cu., WASHINGTON, D. c.

W .l. WHITING. BARREL FASTENING FOR AUTOMATIC PISTOL-S. APPLICATIONFILED JULYZO, 1914. RENEWED NOV. 23.1915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

I 2SHEETS-SHEVET 2 wane g.

THE COLLHU? A PLANCGRAPH CO ASHINGTQN D C UNITED sra'rns PPAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN WHITING, or HANDSWORTH, BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

BARREL-FASTENING FOR AUTOMATIC PISTOLS.

Application filed July 20, 1914, Serial No. 851,998.

To all whom it may concern i Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHN YVHIT-ING, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 111 Antrobusroad, Handsworth, Birmingham, England, director of Public Company, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Barrel-Fastenings forAutomatic Pistols, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to barrel-fastenings for automatic pistolsof the recoiling breech-sleeve type, and consists in an improvedarrangement wherein the detachable barrel and the recoilingbreech-sleeve are fastened or anchored to the body or frame of thepistol through the medium of a spring trigger-guard which is alsoadapted to serve or function as a spring buffer or cushioning device fortaking up or minimizing the shock occasioned by the impact of the saidbreech-sleeve against the sleeve stop on the barrel at the end of thesleeve recoil movement.

The object of the said invention, which is a development of theinvention described in the specification of my former Letters Patent No.868,770 is to provide a combined trigger-guard barrel-fastening andshockabsorbing system. which can be readily disengaged when it isrequired to dismount the barrel and breech sleeve from the frame and isadapted to automatically reengage with the said barrel on the latterbeing replaced, with the sleeve, upon the frame.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal verticalsection, partly in elevation, of a hammerless automatic pistol providedwith a trigger-guard barrel-fastening and buffer-stop arrangementconstructed and applied in accordance with the present invention. Thisview shows the spring guard in its normal or barrel-locking position.Fig. 2 is another view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the positionassumed by the guard when the same is disengaged from the barrel of thearm. Fig. 3 is a further view of the pistol showing the guard in theposition it assumes when the detachable barrel is withdrawn from theframe that carries the guard. It also shows the barrel in the act 7 ofbeing slid rearwardly onto the frame for restoring the same to itsnormal position in which it'is secured by the guard. Fig. 4 is atransverse vertical section of Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 512, andFig. 5 is another transverse section taken on the dotted Specificationof Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Renewed November 23, 1915. Serial No.'63,138.

line :0 Fig. 6 shows four dilferentviews of the barrel used in conunct1on wlth the trigger-guard arrangement shown in Flgs. 1 to 0.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

In the pistol shown in the said drawings,- a is the barrel and b is therecoiling breechsleeve member, the forward part b of which is adapted tofit over or inclose the rear or breech part of the barrel and isprovided with an opening 6 whose front wall is adapted to engage theshouldered enlargement a formed at the rear end of the said barrel, saidenlargement thus serving as a stop for limiting the rearward orrecoiling movement made by the sleeve relative to the barrel and framewhen the pistol is discharged. The barrelhas an inverted T-sectionedbase a which .is adapted to fit, in the known manner, in an open-frontedgroove 0 of corresponding section that is machined along the forwardpart of the topside of the frame 0, while the breech sleeve is providedinternally with horizon tal and open-ended grooves or channels If inwhich fit the external horizontal ribs or feathers of the said frame;the arrangement being such that the parts a, b can be slid onto andremoved. from the frame 0 by way of the front end of the latter, whilewhen the barrel member is locked to the said frame by means of thetrigger-guard fastening hereinafter described, the said barrel serves tokeep the breech sleeve in its prescribed position on the frame butleaves the said sleeve free to slide relatively to the barrel and frame(to the extent per mitted by the stop al for making its recoiling andreturn movements.-

In order to attain the special object of the present invention, Ipropose to employ, as the barrel-fastening, a spring steel triggerguardcl the rear end of which is continued or extended into an upright arm orlever (Z terminating in a knuckle or eye d to take a pivot or fulcrumpin (Z that is carried in the frame, while the other or forward end ofthe said guard is formed with an enlarged head 6 which is adapted toengage in a recess or clearance f cut across the base a receive theupright arm or lever extension of the guard; the-top of this clearancebeing shaped to fit around, or serve as a supporting seating for, thepivoted knuckle end (i of the said lever, which is capable of making aslight angular movement within the frame-clearance 9 during thedisengage ment and engagement of the forward end of the guard from andwith the barrel.

The-forward end of the barrel-supporting part of the frame is formedwith a slot or opening h, the front side of which is fitted with ahardened steel pin 2' that is adapted to function as a guard-tensioningcam, while the barrel-fastening head 6 of the guard, which normallyextends or projects through this opening into the recess 7' in thebarrel-base as shown in Fig. 1, has an inclin'ed or undercut front sidee which bears against the said cam-pin in the frame-opening. Further,the said opening is made longer than the head 0 so as to provide, bebind the latter, a clearance which permits the same to play or yield inthe rearward direction when the guard is functioning for cushioning orbuffering the barrel and breech-sleeve.

In fitting or attaching the guard to the frame of the pistol, the. leverextension is first introduced into its frame-clearance and securedthereby its pivot, and then the front end or barrel-engaging head forcedor sprung through the opening it in the top of the frame. This has theeffect of putting the spring bowed part of the guard under a tensionwhereby the undercut front of the head is kept in engagement with thecam-pin in the frame opening while the head itself is held in theposition in. which it projects into the barrel-seating c of the frame,as shown in Fig. 3.

The base a of the barrel is, as has already been explained, shaped tofit into the said frame-seating c and the part rearward of thetransverse recess 7 with which the guard-head e engages has a fiatunderside but is formed with an inclined or beveled surface j at itsrear end, so that whenin assembling the pistolthe said barrel is slidrearwardly into the seating 0 the said beveled end j comes against andrides over the projecting end of the guard (see Fig. 3) and displaces ordepresses the same, while as the head moves downwardly, its inclinedfront side Wipes over the stationary frame-cam i, which forces the saidhead rearwardlv and further tensions the spring front of the guard.After the inclined end of the barrel base has thus displaced the guard,"the fiat underside 1' of the said base engages and travels over the head(see Fig.

2) and keeps the guard under the increased tension until the said barrelhas been pushed home into its prescribed position on the frame,whereupon the transverse recess 7 in the said base comes over the headand the latter is raised or sprung back into its barrel-lockingengagement with the said recess (see Fig. 1) and is retained in suchengagement by the normal tension of the guard, while the clearance atthe back of the said head admits of the latter playing or yieldingrearwardly within the frame opening so that the tensioned guard mayfunction as a buffer or cushioning device to take up or minimize theshocks which are transmitted from the breech sleeve to thespring-anchored barrel when the front of the said sleeve impingesagainst the barrel-' stop (1. at the end of its recoiling stroke.

hen it is required to detach the barrel and breech sleeve, it is merelynecessary to apply a downward pressure to the front of the guard so asto disengage the locking head 6 from the base-recess and bring the topside of the said head flush with the bottom of the barrel-seating,whereupon both the barrel and the breech-sleeve are moved forward underthe influence of a thrust that is transmitted to them from the sleevereturn spring of the pistol, which movement takes the flat underside ofthe barrel base over the head a and holds the latter in its depressedposition as shown in Fig. 2. The barrel and breech-sleeve can then bewithdrawn forwardly from the frame and the head springs back to itsprojecting position (Fig. 3) as soon as it is cleared by the flatunderside of the barrel-base.

Instead of providing a cam-pin in the front of the frame aperture h toserve as a means of increasing the tension on the spring gnard when thebarrel-engaging head is depressed, I may arrange for the forward side ofthe said head to engage with a cam or projection that is machined uponthe front of or fitted within, the said aperture and is adapted tofunction. in the same manner as the cam-pin shown in the drawing; 1

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In an automatic pistol of the kind hereindescribed, the combination of a sliding,

detachable barrel having a lower cam su1= face; a frame provided with acam; and a combined barrel-fastening .and I cushioning device comprisinga spring trigger guard applied in a tensioned condition to said frameand having a barrel engaging head which coacts with the barrel .cam andis formed with a cam surface for co'action with the frame cam, whereby,when the guard is depressed to release the barrel, the coaction betweenthe cam on said head and the said frame cam will further tension saidguard, said head automatically assuming its normal position after thebarrel has been removed, andwhen said barrel is slid back into saidframe the coaction between its cam and the said head will again subjectsaid guard to further tension, so that when the barrel reaches itsprescribed position in said frame it will be automatically re engaged bysaid head.

2. In an automatic pistol of the kind herein described, the combinationof a sliding, detachable barrel whose base is formed with a recess andwith a cam surface at the rear thereof; a frame having an aperture whosefront Wall is provided with a cam; and a combined barrel-fastening andcushioning device comprising a spring trigger guard applied in atensioned condition to said frame and provided at its front end with ahead which projects through said aperture and is adapted to enter saidrecess when the barrel occupies its prescribed position in said frame,said head having a camshaped front surface for coaction with the cam insaid aperture, whereby, when the guard is depressed to withdraw saidhead from said recess, such coaction will further tension said guard,said head automatically assuming its original position after the barrelhas been removed, and when said barrel is slid back into said frame, thecam on said barrel will-engage the top of said head and again subjectsaid guard to further tension, so that said head will automaticallyreenter said recess when said barrel reaches its said prescribedposition.

3. In an automatic pistol of the kind herein described, the combinationof a sliding barrel having a recess; a frame wherein said barrel ismounted; and a barrel-fastening device comprising a spring trigger guardapplied in a tensioned condition to said frame and having a locking headadapted to enter said recess when said barrel is in its prescribedposition in said frame, said frame and head having coacting means forsubjecting the guard to increased tension when depressed to withdrawsaid head from said recess, whereby said head will automatically assumeits original position after the barrel has been removed, and said headand barrel having coacting portions for depressing the former and againsubjecting the guard to increased tension when the barrel is slid backinto said frame, whereb said head will be caused to automaticallyreenter said recess when said barrel reaches its said prescribedposition.

4. In an automatic pistol of the kind herein described, the combinationof a sliding barrel having a recess; a frame wherein said barrel ismounted having a seat at the back of the trigger; and a barrel-fasteningand cushioning device comprising a spring trigger guard applied in atensioned condition to said frame and having its front end provided witha locking head adapted to enter said recess when said barrel is in itsprescribed position'in said frame, and its rear end extended to form anupright arm which is pivoted in said seat, said frame and head havingcoacting means for sub jecting the guard to increased tension whendepressed to withdraw said head from said recess, whereby said head willautomatically assume its original position after the barrel has beenremoved, and said head and barrel having coacting portions fordepressing the former and again subjecting the guard to increasedtension when the barrel is slid back into said frame, whereby said headwill be caused to automatically re enter said recess when said barrelreaches its said prescribed position.

An automatic pistol of the kind herein referred to, comprising adetachable barrel having fiat bottomed base which is formed with arecess and an inclined or beveled rear end, a body or frame having acamfronted aperture in the barrel-supporting part, and a springtrigger-guard that serves as a barrel-fastening and as a buffer orcushioning device having its rear end pivoted to the frame and itsforward end formed with a barrel-engaging head, the face of which isheld, by the normal spring tension of the guard, in contact with saidcam in said aperture the arrangement being such that the said head iscapable of both a rearward and downward movement within said aperture topermit the fastening and releasing of the barrel to be effected, andalso to admit of the guard performing its cushioning or shock-absorbingfunction when the barrel is fastened to the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM JOHN \VHITING.

Witnesses ARTHUR SADLER, E. J. Rnnvn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

